The invention is based on a centrifugal speed governor for fuel-injected internal combustion engines as generally defined hereinafter. A centrifugal governor of this kind for fuel-injected internal combustion engines is already known from Austrian Pat. No. 175746; this governor operates as as a minimum-maximum-speed governor, and the travel of the governor rod in the direction of an increasing supply quantity is limited by a resiliently yielding governor rod stop including a starting spring. This stop functions as an automatic starting quantity stop. It is also known as a "resilient governor rod stop for RQ governors for limiting the starting quantity" in the publication by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart, Federal Republic of Germany entitled Diesel Injection Equipment (2): Speed Governors for In-Line Injection Pumps (VDT-UBP 210/1, 1st ed., Sept. 30, 1975, FIG. 84 on page 37). In these governors, when the governor stops and the adjusting member is resting on the end stop, the starting spring of the governor rod stop is positively pressed by the force exerted by the idling springs, and the governor rod assumes its starting position. As soon as the engine is running, after being started, the force of the flyweights and the starting spring retract the governor rod to at least shortly before its full-load position, thereby preventing an excessive emission of smoke after the engine has started up. These minimum-maximum-speed governors, in contrast to variable speed governors of the RQV type, have a rigid governor sleeve with fixed attachment points for the flyweights and the intermediate lever. As a result, the full-load position cannot be limited by the governor rod stop, because it is defined by an appropriate adjustment of the end stop, attached to the housing, for the adjusting member. In these governors, any longitudinal movement of the governor sleeve, generated by the swing of the flyweights, by bearing play at connecting points, and by play in the camshaft bearings, has an effect on the governor rod, with a corresponding lever translation. The governor rod accordingly starts to vibrate. At the maximum rpm, so-called "premature governing" occurs, which leads to a reduction in fuel quantity and thus to power losses directly in the range of maximum power. Because of the governor rod vibration, also called "governor rod chattering", the full-load position of the governor rod is no longer accurately defined, so that either the allowable governor rod travel, and in the worst case the smoke limit with it, is exceeded, or else the maximum power cannot be attained, for instance at relatively low rpm or in a middle rpm range. In other words, an unintended adaptation (rpm-dependent correction of the supply quantity) takes place. Adjusting these governors is extremely costly and very difficult to master, and a further disadvantage is that compromises must be made in terms of power and the smoke limit.
In variable-speed governors, such as those of Robert Bosch Type RQV, these disadvantages do not arise if a full-load stop adjusted to a fixed position is used; however, this stop must be unlocked in order to make a starting position available, because in order to preselect rpm the governor sleeve is provided with an accumulator having a very long deflection stroke. The drag spring of the accumulator must be capable of being compressed by the adjusting member during rpm preselection, so that the governor rod stop must be mechanically locked in a full-load position. In order to prepare for starting, this locking mechanism is released while the governor is off by a lever arrangement actuated by the governor sleeve or is unlocked by an electromagnet. This device has already been used for minimum-maximum-speed governors as well; however, it is very expensive, it is difficult to adjust in terms of the starting unlocking, and furthermore, in particular operating states, such as while starting up under heavy loads, the starting quantity may be maintained for too long in full-load operation, causing excessive smoke emission.